Growing up in Portugal a young Ayres Ferreira enjoyed helping his grandparents in their tailoring workshop.

Little did he know that years later he would be helping to create a new two-piece suit for Prince Charles at a prestigious London tailors.

And if that wasn't enough the 27-year-old, who lives in Willesden and is an apprentice at Gieves & Hawkes in Savile Row, has now been named a finalist in the Golden Shears tailoring contest.

Next month Ayres will be battling it out against other designers in a bid to win thousands of pounds.

A tail coat and trousers created by Ayres will be paraded down a glittering catwalk at the exclusive competition in central London.

Each contestant had to make a tailored outfit which will be judged by some of the countries bespoke tailors with marks awarded for technical skill, design, cutting and handcraft tailoring.

Ayres, whose grandfather is a tailor and his grandmother was a trouser maker, said: "I spent my childhood in and out of their tailoring workshop and dreamed of being a tailor myself. The art is definitely in my blood. "After I left school I went to Madrid and took a course as a cutter working for prestigious Spanish tailor Pedro Munos.

"But my ambition was always to work in Savile Row and I have been lucky enough to be offered a job as an apprentice at Gieves and Hawkes."

At the moment Ayres, who has worked in Savile Row for two-and-a-half years, is working on jacket making and is helping to make a two-piece double breasted navy suit for Prince Charles.

He said: "We work for a lot of famous people. Prince Charles popped in with his wife recently to be measured for a suit. It is a navy blue two-piece and should take around 60 hours to make. I can't give you his measurements but he his slim and probably about 1m 75 in height but I can't give you his inside trouser leg measurements. That is private and I don't want to get in trouble with the Royal family.

"Prince Charles was a gentleman. He spoke to everyone and Camilla was by his side. The suit he chose would probably cost around £3,500 but of course his is free. He is the future King after all."

The Merchant Taylors' Company, sponsors of the competition, was founded in 1327 as a religious and social fraternity for tailors and linen armourers - padded tunics worn under suits of armour.

Simon Cundey, chairman of the contest, said: "The Golden Shears Competition is a valuable showcase for talented students and apprentices with a prestigious prize and financial rewards. The standard this year is exceptional and we are looking forward to an exciting evening."